The English Way

From Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela. 5 sections. 122 kilometres. Alternative Route from A Coruña.

The English Way is the first historic maritime route to Santiago de Compostela. From the 11th century until the beginning of the 15th century, an increasing number of European pilgrims, British and Irish in particular, boarded their merchant ships and sailed towards Galician shores. They were joined by the Scandinavians, Flemish, Baltic and Northern French, in maritime adventures full of storms and trouble.

From the shore, they continued their route on foot from two main locations: Ferrol and A Coruña, still the preferred starting points today. The route from Ferrol is over 120 kilometres and takes pilgrims through Narón, Neda, Pontedeume and Abegondo until Mesía. The village of Bruma brings pilgrims coming from A Coruña, a shorter route, together with those coming from Ferrol to continue through Ordes and Oroso until Santiago de Compostela.

When Henry VII ruled the separation of the Church of England from the Catholic church in the 16th century, this route declined but it is booming again today. The truth is, there are many attractions on the English Way, be it the landscape, history or art. The route combines wild Galician seas and mountains with beautiful towns such as Pontedeume or Betanzos.

The Camino starts in Ferrol with its first section to Neda, and from there it continues to Pontedeume, although most pilgrims decide to walk the 31 km from Ferrol to Pontedeume in a single day.

How to get to the starting point?

FERROL

How to get to Ferrol by train: There are daily trains from Madrid and Oviedo to Ferrol. From there, you can also go to A Coruña and continue to other Galician destinations. Please check timetables at Renfe. The railway station is at Av. Compostela, very close to the Plaza de Armas, the city centre.

How to get to Ferrol by bus: There are daily buses connectingFerrol to different parts of Spain with Alsa, and inside Galicia, you can use Monbus and Arriva. Ferrol’s bus station is at Paseo de la Estación (+34 981 324 700).

How to get to Ferrol by car: The toll highway AP-9 takes you to Ferrol. Likewise the N-651 crosses the bridge of As Pías.

How to get to Ferrol by plane: There is no airport in Ferrol, the closest one is Alvedro, in A Coruña, located 50 kilometres away. You can use the toll highway to get there.

A CORUÑA

How to get A Coruña by train: The railway station of A Coruña is at Calle Joaquín Planells Riera (+34 902 320 320) and there are daily trains to Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao-Irún. There are also commuter trains to Santiago, Vigo, Ferrol and Monforte de Lemos. Please check timetables at Renfe.

How to get to A Coruña by bus: Alsa reaches A Coruña from different Spanish destinations. There are city bus lines from the bus station, you can check all lines here.

How to get to A Coruña by car: The toll-highway AP-9 goes from the Galician-Portuguese border all the way to A Coruña through Vigo, Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela. Likewise, it links the city with Ferrol. Besides, the Autovía del Noroeste (toll-free) connects A Coruña with Madrid and the Autopista de Carballo (toll highway) also gets you to the city.

How to get to A Coruña by plane: The airport of Alvedro is 8 kilometres from the city centre of A Coruña and has direct flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, London, Lisbon and Amsterdam. The airlines operating those flights are Air Europa, Iberia, Tap-Portugal and Vueling. Asicasa (+34 981 231 234) links the airport with the city by bus. There is also a taxi stand.

We transfer your rucksack or suitcase from accommodation to accommodation!! In this way, you can walk more comfortably, unburdened, and enjoying every step of the Way. We will take your luggage every day to your next hostel or hotel.

Decide where you want to start the Camino and we will send your bicycle there from any of our Correos offices. Once you finish the Way you can again go to the nearest post office and send it back home. We send your bicycle neatly packaged and insured in a way that you need not disassemble it.

With our Paq Peregrino you can send suitcases or parcels to any point in the Camino -hostel, hotel, Correos office, etc. - so that your stuff is there when you arrive. This way you can have extra clothes or other items and not only the ones you take for your walk. You can also send back whatever you may have in your rucksack for the Camino that you no longer need.

So that you have nothing to worry about other than just enjoying the Camino

In Correos we have a prepaid card that is not linked to any bank account. In this way, you can do the Camino without taking your credit or debit cards with you. You will only have to top it up with the money you need and then top up again if you run out of balance. This is a simple, safe and comfortable way of taking your money along the Camino.

Correos offices along the Way stamp your Credencial or Pilgrim's Passport with our special stamps. Many of them display a significant tourist attraction of that particular place for you to keep as a souvenir.

You can send a parcel from any of the over one-hundred CORREOS offices located along the Way and from some of our “Tiendas Amigas del Camino”, a network of shops and accommodations from where you can send parcels any time you want. This service will help you get rid of the content of your luggage that you no longer need, buy some souvenirs, typical products... without having to worry about carrying them with you.

Our Pilgrim's Office at Rúa do Franco, 150 metres from the Plaza del Obradoiro, has lockers. You can leave your rucksack, suitcase, bike, trekking pole... before you go into the Cathedral or to visit Santiago without having to worry about your luggage.

FAQS

The line is busy, How can I contact you? You can send us a WhatsApp to (+34) 683 44 00 22 or an e-mail to paqmochila@correos.com

Do I have to drop off and pick up my rucksack in a Correos office in each stage? No, you do not have to come to a Correos office. We will collect it and bring it to the location you have provided (Except Municipal Hostels, where we will deposit your rucksack in a nearby location)

Do you offer the service during the weekend? From the holy week to the 31st of October the service is available from Monday to Sunday, festivities included. For other dates you can contact us at paqmochila@correos.com

I am thinking of staying in public hostels, Can I deposit my rucksack there? Public hostels don’t allow to drop off or pick up rucksacks in their establishment therefore, you can deposit your rucksack in a friendly location we will note.

Do I have to book accommodation in all the stages beforehand? You only need to know the accommodation for the first day. You can show us your where you are staying day-to-day.

Can I hire the rucksack shipping if I do the CAMINO by bicycle? You can hire the shipping service as long as the stages do not exceed 90 km.

Can I bring a suitcase instead of a rucksack? Of course! You can bring a suitcase, rucksack or travel bag whereas it is enough sturdy to carry.

If my rucksack exceeds 20 kg, Do I have to pay excess baggage charges? Maximum weight is 20kg. There is no excess weight charges, you should have to hire the shipping for two rucksacks.

If I do have baggage excess during the CAMINO, Can I send some of my belongings in order to lighten my rucksack? Using Paq Peregrino you can send your extra clothes or personal items to the Correos Office within the location where you want to finish your CAMINO, your home or the Correos Office in your location.

What do I have to do if there is an incident during the CAMINO? For any incident that may occur during the Way you can contact us by phone (+34) 683 44 00 22, WhatsApp or email paqmochila@correos.com.

Can I change the destination or accommodation that had been programmed? Any change in the itinerary must be reported the day before the shipping sooner than 9pm.

If I cannot begin the CAMINO, How can I cancel my booking? If you cannot begin the CAMINO we will give you a full refund. Send us an e-mail to paqmochila@correos.com requesting the refund.